Ethan: Thanks! I have always wondered about this.

As an aside, you noted that the exclusion principle does not apply in a black hole.

But why not? Why does it not simply require the matter to occupy every greater energy levels?

And if it breaks down at a certain energy level, then why at that level?

Seems I read that we predicted that black holes would exist before we saw them. Did we calculate the weight required to overcome this exclusion principle?

thx!